Quebec health minister wants to give nurse practitioners more power

Quebec Health Minister DanielleMcCannwants to give specialized nurse practitionersthe power to diagnose certain chronic illnesses to help alleviate the backlog inthe province's health system.

In an interview, McCann said the change would allow nurse practitionersto use their full set of skills while freeing up doctors to do other work.

As it stands, she said, nurse practitionershave to be supervised by a family physician, and patients are required to follow up with a doctor 30 days after visiting a nurse practitioner.

"We want to change that. In all of Canada, nursepractitionershave more autonomy," she said Monday.

McCann said she wants them to be able to treat patients dealing with problemslike high cholesterol,asthma andhypertension.

"They are trained to do that," she said.

McCann said she has been in talks with the Quebec's College of Physicians about the issue and that she wants to make the changewhich will require modifying provincial legislationin the next year.

The proposal is already facing resistance from doctors' groups.

Dr. LouisGodin, head of Quebec's federation of general practitioners, said he has questions about the proposal and stressed that diagnostics is something for which doctors have specific training.

"We'll see. We want to make sure the competence of doctors is respected," he said on Radio-Canada's Gravel le matin.

There aremore than 400 nursepractitioners working in clinics and hospitals across the province.

The previous Liberal government also sought to give more power to nurse practitioners, long hailed as a solution to the province's health care woes.

Health MinisterGatanBarrette made changes last year to allow nurse practitionersto diagnose six chronic diseases, but a doctor needed to then confirm the diagnosis. He also hoped to have 2,000nurse practitionersworking across the province by 2025.

McCannsaid she's also looking at compensating doctors for treatment they provide by phone orinternetin an effort to encourage more efficient treatment for minor ailments and prescription renewals.